Happy New Year!

Friday, January 2nd--It's Friday night and I've spent the last two days, off and on, pondering the year 2009. What's in store? Will it be a year full of trials and hardship or happiness and joy? I suspect all four will occur but hopefully more happiness and joy. We have some vacations planned for the year, including Disneyland, as usual. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out......if any of you have been to Disneyland with a young child you know why Nate and I crave that place--it is absolutely intoxicating!
I think something I've thought the most about is to make better choices. There's a full spectrum of what that means to me. It's hard to explain so I will just keep it at that. I pray that our Father in Heaven will provide me with strength and courage to do so.
I keep hearing these three things over and over and over again, in my head: "Simplify", "Be prepared" and "Let it go". I know what each of them mean to me and I'm happy to say I'm working on each challenge. Simplifying is just getting rid of things that clutter my life. If you're selling something expect to hear me say, "no thanks". If you're asking me to take on something that takes me away from my family (on top of the long list of things there already are) expect me to say, "sorry, no can do". Getting prepared is something I've been working on for the past few years. I've been getting food storage and emergency preparedness items. Opportunities have flooded in for ways to stock up and the tips and advice have been endless. I am enjoying what has been learned so far--there is still much to do and learn but we're headed in the right direction and that's all that matters (by the way, did you know one of the items that is needed the most but rarely found in emergency preparedness is toilet paper) Letting go has been the hardest and I believe I will struggle with this challenge for the rest of my life. There are many behaviors, many decisions, many comments, lack-of-courtesies, and lack-of-respect that I don't understand, I never will. Thoughts of these things keep me up at night, they gnaw at me as I wrack my brain trying to make sense of it all--the "enlightenment" never comes and it would be best to just "let go". I hope someday I am able to.
What the year holds for me and my family, we don't know yet. But we pray for the best and are optimistic for all this year will bring. Best wishes to all of you for 2009!